1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum cleaners.
More particularly, the invention pertains to a vacuum cleaner especially adapted to facilitate the ready removal of lint from the lint screen of a clothes dryer.
In a further respect, the invention pertains to a vacuum cleaner which permits removal of lint from a clothes dryer lint screen without requiring that the lint screen be removed from the dryer.
2. Description of the Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 to 1.99.
Clothes dryers continually produce lint which must be removed from a lint screen recess in the clothes dryer. The lint is removed either by removing the screen from the dryer and removing the lint or by manually scraping the lint off the screen while the screen remains in the dryer. Both of these methods of removing lint have long been successfully utilized by individuals after clothes have been dried in a dryer. A principal disadvantage of these conventional methods of removing lint from a drier screen is that some lint invariably falls to the floor, or escapes into the air while the lint screen is being cleaned. Although lint appears innocuous and harmless, lint fibers which are inhaled can irritate the lungs, increasing the risk that an individual will damage sensitive lung tissue. The heat generated by a drier tends to embrittle certain fibers, making them more likely to cut and irritate alveolar sacs, resulting in obstructive and infectious lung diseases. Further, the circulation of lint throughout a residence blocks filters and tends to shorten the useful life of various tools and machines which draw in air during operation.
A variety of vacuums are known in the art, ranging from large conventional HOOVER (Trademark) upright push vacuums for cleaning carpeting to small hand held DUST BUSTER (Trademark) vacuums for cleaning small spills. None of these existing vacuums is equipped to remove readily lint from the screen of a clothes dryer. One disadvantage of many existing vacuums is that they are too bulky and are too time consuming and impractical to move to a clothes dryer and plug in order to remove lint. While a homeowner may utilize a large upright HOOVER vacuum cleaner to vacuum the rugs in a home, the homeowner will not take the time to move the upright vacuum near a clothes dryer, to hook up the wand attachment, and to attempt to remove lint from the dryer's lint screen. For one thing, the wand and hose attached to the wand make utilization of the wand in the door of a clothes dryer awkward. Similarly, the smaller hand held DUSTBUSTER type of vacuums are impractical because the opening at the mouth of the vacuum can readily clog with lint. In addition, the nose of a DUSTBUSTER and the wand on a conventional vacuum both are not shaped and dimensioned to conform to the screen and opening in a clothes dryer lint catcher. The prior art does not appear to have considered utilizing a vacuum to facilitate the removal of lint from a clothes dryer lint screen.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved vacuum cleaner to facilitate the removal of lint generated by a clothes dryer.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved vacuum cleaner.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner which facilitates the convenient, ready removal of lint from the lint catching screen of a clothes dryer.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner which fits into the front circular opening of a clothes dryer and can access the recessed lint screen at the lower part of the front circular opening in order to remove lint from the recessed lint screen.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner which can suction lint through the mouth of the vacuum cleaner without allowing the lint to block the vacuum cleaner mouth.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner which is instantly available to remove lint from the lint screen of a dryer.